20-watt, lightweight, all-tube 1x12" guitar amplifier combo.
The Soldano ASTRO-20 is a 3-channel, 4-Galaxy 1x12" combo that combines authentic all-tube tone with features for today’s modern guitarist. The ASTRO-20 can also be used as a stand-alone cab-less amplifier ideal for live sound, rehearsal and studio recording sessions, thanks to the DSP-powered IR cabinet simulation. The simple front panel design of the ASTRO-20 lets you save any combination of the channels, Galaxies, and IRs and quickly recall them with the included 4-button MIDI footswitch. The free downloadable Soldano Editor Software makes organizing presets and integrating your own IRs fast and easy.
The ASTRO-20 lets you customize the overdrive channels to your needs. For example, you can select the Red Galaxy for both OD 1 and OD 2 (and set the Volume and Gain differently on each channel), or OD1 as Blue and OD2 as Red, or OD1 as Purple and OD2 as Red–the combinations are endless.
The STAR Display
All features of the ASTRO-20 are controlled right from the front panel, making it convenient and versatile. The innovative STAR display indicates which Galaxy is being played (Green, Blue, Purple or Red), while the six "planets" around the star indicate the current IR preset. The planet indicator will turn OFF in CAB BYPASS mode.
Forward Thinking
Mike Soldano spent over three years designing the ASTRO-20. Almost every aspect of the design is forward thinking and setting a new benchmark for tube guitar amplifiers.
4-Button MIDI Footswitch—Expanded MIDI Control
An included 4-button MIDI footswitch lets you save and access any combination of channels, Galaxies and onboard IRs. The amp also accepts external MIDI switchers and controllers, giving you up to 128 user-created presets. You can assign and organize your presets with the included Soldano Editor Software.
Tube Life
The ASTRO-20 includes state-of-the-art circuitry designed to protect and increase the power tube's life. It's common practice for amps to use DC heaters for the preamp tubes primarily for noise reduction. The ASTRO-20, however, uses DC power for BOTH the preamp tubes and the power tubes. When powered ON, tubes start from a COLD state with very little resistance. The shock of turning them on acts like a short circuit and this abuse, over time, can shorten the tube's life. To protect against this the ASTRO-20 includes state-of-the-art current and voltage monitoring circuitry, which precisely limits the startup current and accurately sets the voltage of the tube's ideal operating point. This protection dramatically increases the tube’s life.
Latency Matters
The ASTRO-20 combines all-tube tone with a powerful digital engine for impulse responses and power amp simulation. The oversized 500mhz ARM DSP processor is utilized solely for these two functions resulting in performance that is vastly better than competing products. How good? The 50 ms Impulse Response length in under 1 ms of latency. This is compared to most products today which are only capable of achieving 20 ms IR length at 1 ms latency. At 20 ms length the resolution is only 48Hz, meaning the impulse response will mostly sound the same under 150Hz–these are the critical frequencies where "punch" lives. Mike Soldano has earned a reputation for forward thinking with no compromises—the ASTRO-20 best in class digital engine delivers on that promise.
Following that same philosophy, the ASTRO-20 combines Soldano’s legacy tube tone with the best DSP technology available for cab-less operation. Rather than loading down the power amp with a reactive load, the ASTRO-20 takes the signal right at the phase inverter and uses the extraordinary power of the 500mHz ARM DSP engine to create a DYNAMIC load—both for the speaker and power amp response. During cab-less operation, the power tubes are automatically disconnected and placed in a safe mode thereby preserving the life of the tubes.
The commonly used reactive load only provides two representative points of a true speaker, giving a similar but not fully accurate representation of the response. Thanks to the powerful digital engine, in addition to the fact that SOLDANO design doesn't rely on power amp distortion, the ASTRO 20 is capable of recreating more than 2,000 reference points–giving a true "high resolution" response.
It’s common to use the ASTRO-20 together with the DI out at the same time—a cabinet for personal monitoring and DI for the stage. Relying on a reactive load means the sound will always be different depending on the cab and the Master volume setting. Mike Soldano's forward-thinking approach is to have no load at all. This means when using the ASTRO-20 cab-less, you get the best possible amp representation, and your stage sound will always be consistent.
Don’t Standby
Mike Soldano is known for challenging convention, and when designing the ASTRO-20, he started from the ground up, re-examining every aspect of his new design, even including the traditional Standby switch. A Standby switch is needed when the power supply uses capacitors whose maximum rated voltage is very close to the operating voltage. When tubes are cold and the current drain is low, the operation voltage may exceed the maximum capacitor rating voltage, which is where the Standby switch comes in.
To address this, Mike selected for the ASTRO-20 capacitors rated at a much higher voltage than normally needed. This provides additional safety and less stress on the capacitors, translating to increased longevity thereby removing the need for a Standby switch.
Universal Voltage
Mike Soldano designed the ASTRO-20 to work seamlessly anywhere in the world with the help of a voltage selector switch found on the back panel. This simple and useful feature is not common on most tube amps, but is on the ASTRO-20. This is made possible thanks to Mike’s state-of-the-art current and voltage monitoring and the cathode self-biasing circuits. When traveling, or moving to a different country, and you want to take the ASTRO-20 with you, there is no need to re-bias the amp or use a step-up/step-down transformer—just select the right voltage, replace the Mains fuse with the correct rating and you’re ready to go.
Designed Better
In addition to a modern feature set and killer tone, Mike Soldano engineered the ASTRO-20 using the finest components and technology available, considering quality and ease of servicing. It’s the same way every Soldano product is designed, but the ASTRO-20 takes everything a step forward.
As will all Soldano tube amps, the ASTRO-20 amplifier and Baltic birch head shell are proudly built in the USA.
The ASTRO-20 is constructed using three circuit boards that are linked by a single connector (with a few separate shielded signal connectors designed to minimize crosstalk). This meticulous PCB layout design provides the best possible signal-to-noise ratio and makes it extremely easy to service. To top things off, the circuit boards are gold plated.
All accurately spaced components are industrial grade, while key components are automotive grade. This means that all the components used for the digital part of the design are guaranteed to be available for at least 15 years. All resistors used are at minimum 1W with low 1% tolerance and the branded capacitors, relays and tube sockets (WIMA, Nichicon, Belton) are of some of the finest available.
In addition to safety testing, the ASTRO-20 passed severe thermal stress tests, meaning all components work at their ideal temperature even under extreme use. It’s fair to say the ASTRO-20, at least from an engineering perspective, is literally cool.
3 Channels of All-tube Tone
Despite its incredible onboard control, the ASTRO-20 is a straightforward, all-tube amplifier that is powered by two 6V6 power tubes and four 12AX7 preamp tubes. There are three channels to select: Clean, Overdrive 1 or Overdrive 2. The Clean/Green Galaxy is a high-headroom circuit reminiscent of classic American combo amps. It ranges from crystal clean to slightly pushed crunchy tones dialed in with a single Tone knob and a 3-way Bright switch. Overdrive 1 and Overdrive 2 include independent Volume and Gain with a shared 3-band EQ. The Blue, Purple and Red Galaxies can be assigned independently to each of the Overdrive channels via the Galaxy select switch.The Galaxies
The Blue Galaxy ranges from bluesy cleans to fat and sparkly hard rock tones. The Purple Galaxy takes over where Blue leaves off, delivering higher gain and a tighter response. The Red Galaxy takes you on a journey starting from Soldano's iconic lead tones to a new phenomenal high-gain universe. The Blue, Purple and Red Galaxies can be assigned to Overdrive 1 or Overdrive 2 independently and saved for instant recall.The ASTRO-20 lets you customize the overdrive channels to your needs. For example, you can select the Red Galaxy for both OD 1 and OD 2 (and set the Volume and Gain differently on each channel), or OD1 as Blue and OD2 as Red, or OD1 as Purple and OD2 as Red–the combinations are endless.
Impulse Responses—Assignable Per Channel/Galaxy
Impulse response cabinet simulation is an essential tool for modern guitarists. The ASTRO-20 offers six onboard IR slots to choose from. Each expertly recorded IR can be assigned to each channel/galaxy independently, ensuring you get the perfect tone and speaker response, whether running direct onstage, recording or utilizing the amp's headphone output for silent at-home practice. Add and manage your own IRs using the included Soldano Editor Software.The STAR Display
All features of the ASTRO-20 are controlled right from the front panel, making it convenient and versatile. The innovative STAR display indicates which Galaxy is being played (Green, Blue, Purple or Red), while the six "planets" around the star indicate the current IR preset. The planet indicator will turn OFF in CAB BYPASS mode.Forward Thinking
Mike Soldano spent over three years designing the ASTRO-20. Almost every aspect of the design is forward thinking and setting a new benchmark for tube guitar amplifiers.4-Button MIDI Footswitch—Expanded MIDI Control
An included 4-button MIDI footswitch lets you save and access any combination of channels, Galaxies and onboard IRs. The amp also accepts external MIDI switchers and controllers, giving you up to 128 user-created presets. You can assign and organize your presets with the included Soldano Editor Software.Master Controls
The wide range master Presence control takes you from a tight and mid-focused response to an open, three-dimensional feel. The 3-positon Depth switch fine-tunes the power amp’s bass response. You can boost or cut the bass using this switch. Depth cut is ideal for extended range, low-tuned guitars, allowing you to cut through the mix. Depth boost beefs up single-coil guitars and at lower volumes enriches the bass response.Tube Life
The ASTRO-20 includes state-of-the-art circuitry designed to protect and increase the power tube's life. It's common practice for amps to use DC heaters for the preamp tubes primarily for noise reduction. The ASTRO-20, however, uses DC power for BOTH the preamp tubes and the power tubes. When powered ON, tubes start from a COLD state with very little resistance. The shock of turning them on acts like a short circuit and this abuse, over time, can shorten the tube's life. To protect against this the ASTRO-20 includes state-of-the-art current and voltage monitoring circuitry, which precisely limits the startup current and accurately sets the voltage of the tube's ideal operating point. This protection dramatically increases the tube’s life.Latency Matters
The ASTRO-20 combines all-tube tone with a powerful digital engine for impulse responses and power amp simulation. The oversized 500mhz ARM DSP processor is utilized solely for these two functions resulting in performance that is vastly better than competing products. How good? The 50 ms Impulse Response length in under 1 ms of latency. This is compared to most products today which are only capable of achieving 20 ms IR length at 1 ms latency. At 20 ms length the resolution is only 48Hz, meaning the impulse response will mostly sound the same under 150Hz–these are the critical frequencies where "punch" lives. Mike Soldano has earned a reputation for forward thinking with no compromises—the ASTRO-20 best in class digital engine delivers on that promise.No Load
When Mike Soldano first designed the now legendary, Super Lead Overdrive (SLO), he wanted a design that didn’t rely on the power amp's distortion, which is how every other amp was doing it at the time. His innovative and now-famous cascading tube stage preamp design was paired with an extremely clean and hi-fi power amp, resulting in one of the most famous amp designs of all time.Following that same philosophy, the ASTRO-20 combines Soldano’s legacy tube tone with the best DSP technology available for cab-less operation. Rather than loading down the power amp with a reactive load, the ASTRO-20 takes the signal right at the phase inverter and uses the extraordinary power of the 500mHz ARM DSP engine to create a DYNAMIC load—both for the speaker and power amp response. During cab-less operation, the power tubes are automatically disconnected and placed in a safe mode thereby preserving the life of the tubes.
The commonly used reactive load only provides two representative points of a true speaker, giving a similar but not fully accurate representation of the response. Thanks to the powerful digital engine, in addition to the fact that SOLDANO design doesn't rely on power amp distortion, the ASTRO 20 is capable of recreating more than 2,000 reference points–giving a true "high resolution" response.
It’s common to use the ASTRO-20 together with the DI out at the same time—a cabinet for personal monitoring and DI for the stage. Relying on a reactive load means the sound will always be different depending on the cab and the Master volume setting. Mike Soldano's forward-thinking approach is to have no load at all. This means when using the ASTRO-20 cab-less, you get the best possible amp representation, and your stage sound will always be consistent.
Don’t Standby
Mike Soldano is known for challenging convention, and when designing the ASTRO-20, he started from the ground up, re-examining every aspect of his new design, even including the traditional Standby switch. A Standby switch is needed when the power supply uses capacitors whose maximum rated voltage is very close to the operating voltage. When tubes are cold and the current drain is low, the operation voltage may exceed the maximum capacitor rating voltage, which is where the Standby switch comes in.
To address this, Mike selected for the ASTRO-20 capacitors rated at a much higher voltage than normally needed. This provides additional safety and less stress on the capacitors, translating to increased longevity thereby removing the need for a Standby switch.
Universal Voltage
Mike Soldano designed the ASTRO-20 to work seamlessly anywhere in the world with the help of a voltage selector switch found on the back panel. This simple and useful feature is not common on most tube amps, but is on the ASTRO-20. This is made possible thanks to Mike’s state-of-the-art current and voltage monitoring and the cathode self-biasing circuits. When traveling, or moving to a different country, and you want to take the ASTRO-20 with you, there is no need to re-bias the amp or use a step-up/step-down transformer—just select the right voltage, replace the Mains fuse with the correct rating and you’re ready to go.
Designed Better
In addition to a modern feature set and killer tone, Mike Soldano engineered the ASTRO-20 using the finest components and technology available, considering quality and ease of servicing. It’s the same way every Soldano product is designed, but the ASTRO-20 takes everything a step forward.
As will all Soldano tube amps, the ASTRO-20 amplifier and Baltic birch head shell are proudly built in the USA.
The ASTRO-20 is constructed using three circuit boards that are linked by a single connector (with a few separate shielded signal connectors designed to minimize crosstalk). This meticulous PCB layout design provides the best possible signal-to-noise ratio and makes it extremely easy to service. To top things off, the circuit boards are gold plated.
All accurately spaced components are industrial grade, while key components are automotive grade. This means that all the components used for the digital part of the design are guaranteed to be available for at least 15 years. All resistors used are at minimum 1W with low 1% tolerance and the branded capacitors, relays and tube sockets (WIMA, Nichicon, Belton) are of some of the finest available.
In addition to safety testing, the ASTRO-20 passed severe thermal stress tests, meaning all components work at their ideal temperature even under extreme use. It’s fair to say the ASTRO-20, at least from an engineering perspective, is literally cool.
Soldano Editor Software
The Soldano Editor Software features an intuitive user interface, allowing you to easily assign Galaxies to the Overdrive channels, select different IRs for all three channels, load and organize your IR library, and save up to 128 MIDI presets.Specifications
- Tubes: 2 x 6V6, 4 x 12AX7
- Dimensions (WxDxH): 20.75" x 11.75" x 20"
- Weight: 48 lb.
Features
- 2 x 6V6
- 4 x 12AX7
- 3 Independent Channels
- VOLUME, PRESENCE and 3-position DEPTH switch
- VOLUME, TONE and a 3-way BRIGHT switch
- Ranges from crystal clean to pushed crunchy tones
- Independent GAIN and VOLUME per channel
- Shared BASS, MIDDLE and TREBLE controls
- Overdrive 1 and Overdrive 2 can be independently programmed to the BLUE, PURPLE or RED galaxies
- BLUE Galaxy ranges from bluesy cleans to fat and sparkly hard rock tones
- PURPLE Galaxy ranges from hard rock to punchy high gain drive with a tighter response
- RED Galaxy with the famous sought after SOLDANO lead overdrive tone
- Low Latency IR Cabinet simulation (bypassable)
- Load your own IRs via the Software Editor
- 7-Pin MIDI Cable Included